Module 5 - Multicultural Teams What's the benefit of studying this topic? Professionals are now expected to work well as team players. This module offers you-(a) added knowledge about team success when that team is also diverse in experience and background; (b) increased skill in developing your team leadership. Module 5 Effective Multi-cultural Teams and Their Leadership Introduction to Leadership of Multi-cultural, Diverse Teams: This week, we examine the nature of teams-and what sets up a team's success. Consider these key factors that a leader/team manager must keep in mind. As groups form, then experience working together, informal leaders emerge often around a problem to solve. A team member has a special expertise. 2. Group members can change roles as they contribute their talents. 3. Different ethical perceptions and values appear as decisions are made. Often these differences begin to appear as meeting time or scheduling issues. 4. Conflict, both positive and negative, will occur when identifying action steps and responsibilities. 1. Teams and Project Management Teams are usually formed to work on a project. Project Management can be a major discipline all to itself, but a simple mental exercise illustrates the basic concepts of project management. Imagine that you are going to Grandma's house and you are carrying a fox, a goose, and a bag of grain. You come to a river that you have to cross: to do so you can rent a boat for $1 per crossing. It takes five minutes to cross either way. Unfortunately, the boat can only accommodate you and one of your \"parcels\" at a time. If you take the fox first, the goose will eat the grain. If you take the grain and leave the fox and the goose --- well, you get the picture. Questions: How many trips will it take, in what sequence, how long will it take, and how much will it cost? How does this illustrate a project? 1. A project is a well-defined goal to be accomplished by a certain completion date. 2. A project has certain major \"tasks\" which include associated \"activities.\" 3. These tasks and activities have to be performed in a certain sequence or order. Some must be completed before others can begin. Some can be done in parallel --- at the same time as others. 4. The longest time sequence of tasks and activities is called the \"critical path.\" Tasks and activities on the critical path must be completed on time or the project will be late. Activities not on the critical path are said to have \"slack.\" They can be delayed. 5. A project requires \"resources.\" Labor, materials, and equipment are resources, as is money. Time is a \"unique\" resource in that it is renewed every night at midnight. 6. The time-line for a project can be graphically illustrated in a number of ways (whatever you chose to do in the Assignment portion above is acceptable if you, as the project manager, understand it). Two common methods are the Gantt Chart (so named for Dr. Henry Gantt) and the PERT Chart (Programmed Evaluation Review Technique). Their concepts are simple, but details are best left for a course in PM. 7. A project is usually a \"multi-discipline\" undertaking. That is it often requires a variety of expertise --- which is where diversity comes in. Answer: Seven trips across the river. Take the goose over first and leave it (1st trip). Come back empty (2nd) and take either the grain or the fox next (it doesn't matter which - 3rd trip). Leave whatever you took (let's assume it was the fox), and bring the goose back (4th). Take the grain across and leave it with the fox (5th). Come back empty (6 th) and go back across with the goose (7th trip). Illustration: A Simple Gantt Chart Gantt Chart Activity Time Interval 1 (5 Min.) Time Interval 2 (5 Min.) Time Interval 3 (5 Min.) Time Interval 4 (5 Min.) Time Interval 5 (5 Min.) Time Interval 6 (5 Min.) Time Interval 7 (5 Min.) 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Goose Empty Fox Goose Grain Empty Goose Time: At-a-glance definitions: A team shares a common set of goals/objectives and has authority for its problem-solving. (In contrast a group interacts to share information useful to each person fulfilling his or her individual work tasks). A multi-cultural team has three (3) or more people who have significantly different ethnic or country backgrounds. But there can be a range of diversity factors within a team (More details in the section below). Compelling situation: All professionals can expect to work in teams as members, and perhaps as team leaders, as they advance their careers. Today, more than 1/3 of US companies (50+ workers) have 50% of employees working in problem-solving or self-managed teams. 90 percent of all Fortune 1000 companies report having diversity programs and expectations that professional advancement includes ability to manage different perspectives effectively. Research Trends: What's being discovered to support effective team performance? 2004-2012, researchers conducted 87 studies on diversity/multi-ethnicity and team performance in multiple settings around the globe. Some of the findings- Positive attitude towards diversity of views and a clarity of team's purpose aid significantly for assuring team success. A focus on what can be learned within diverse teams appears to mediate conflict/increase performance. Meta-analysis of diverse teams suggest that these teams often lower performance due to increased conflict, but that they may increase innovation/creative approaches Virtual, diverse teams require increased attention from leader/manager to mediate conflict. Diversity within teams demands increased attention group process skills on the part of the leader/manager. Additional research: The most dominant theme or topic for team research is group development-the phases or stages in which a team gains maturity. With time to mature, the teams' interactions support achieving goals or objectives. Between the 1980s and 2012, 1000-plus studies were published. An overarching conclusion is the effective management of conflict for effective team managing. This idea suggests a leader needs to understand what verbal and nonverbal behaviors are expressions of diverse ideas, which often happens during the "storming" phase. In order to manage or lead through the conflicts of different views, research has also paid attention to cohesion-the behaviors which indicate a willingness to trust resources and skills held by team members. Since the early 70s, behaviorists have explored the dynamics of building effective interaction among professionals reported in more than 200 studies (Business Source Complete, 2012). A Team is Effective When: A Team Needs to Increase Effectiveness When: Goals/purpose is clearly defined; members are The team's goals/purpose appears vague; members hesitate, do not energized. demonstrate buy-in/commitment. Team members know/recognize expertise for tasks among team members and that expertise has been tied to team goals. Expertise and relevant experiences of team members is not shared. Members understand/discuss individual roles within team interactions for getting results. Specific responsibilities for producing task results or for managing interactions seem confusing or unknown to team members. Team members have defined norms or "ground rules" for communicating plans problems, solutions and schedule. Documents of team communication "ground rules" are not easily available or transparent. Each member has appropriate communication Limited/no knowledge of whether team members can use available skill and tools (including technology) to ensure collaboration tools (i.e. technology for developing a collaborative collaboration among team members. document/plan, or personal skill for advancing interaction, asking open ended questions, providing examples/stories relevant to sharing information). Achieves goals, and/or negotiates revised/new Fails to achieve purpose/goals; cannot gain access to needed goals using external resources. resources. Factors become more important in a multi-cultural diverse team. Adapted from Adler (2008) and research studies of diversity within team performance, 2004-2012 Understanding a Range for Diversity/Multi-Culturalism within a Team: HOMOGENEOUS TEAMS: Members share a similar background which is likely to influence perceptions and values. People perceive, interpret, and evaluate ideas, plans and decisions in like-minded ways. A team of all male Finnish bankers, for example, is homogeneous, based on gender, culture, and profession. A team of Mexican and Panamanian stockbrokers is professionally, but not culturally, homogeneous. TOKEN TEAMS: In token teams all but one member comes from the same or very similar backgrounds. In a team of Australian lawyers and one British attorney, for example, the British attorney would be the token member. In such a token team, the British attorney would probably understand situations and case law somewhat differently from his Australian colleagues. In the last decade, predominantly male management teams began to pay considerable attention to their few, often token, female members. Today many corporations focus significantly more attention on leveraging the potential contributions of their token ethnic members as an aspect of talent management. BICULTURAL TEAMS: In bicultural teams, members represent two distinct cultures; for example, a fifty-fifty partnership between Peruvians and Bolivians, or a taskforce composed of Saudi Arabian and Jordanian managers, or a committee of seven Spanish and three Portuguese executives. Bicultural teams must continually recognize and integrate the perspectives. If the team has an unequal number of members from each culture, the culture of the group with more representatives will likely dominate. MULTICULTURAL TEAMS: In multicultural teams, members represent three or more ethnic backgrounds. United Nations agencies offer good examples of multicultural organizational structures, as do the committees of the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Today, an increasing number of corporate task forces are globally distanced teams-that is, teams composed of members from around the world who meet electronically. The economic and political power structure of the represented members moderates a multicultural team's dynamics and, therefore, its effectiveness. To perform most effectively, multicultural teams need to recognize and integrate all represented cultures. (Adapted from Adler, 2008) Team Diversity: Pay Additional Attention to Explaining Philosophy/Building Empowerment Multicultural teams are an important investment in resources--time, money and leadership. Building a trusting, respectful relationship takes awareness and effort. Use of the Servant Leader Model and its applied research (Northouse, Chapter 10), offers you more ideas about how to express or explain important beliefs about your leadership role. The Servant model provides reasons for being attentive to discussion of important philosophical beliefs-such as vision held by each team member. Commitment to ethics in decisions and a mindset of empowering others are important characteristics of being a Servant Leader. Kindly know that members of your team will not only pay attention to your talk about these values, but also they will want to see you being a model. For instance, an executive of Southwest Airlines, Colleen Barrett, adapted the idea of servant leading by taking the principle of the Golden Rule, implementing it as a practice among the SW crews and managers to add awareness of listening and serving passengers. Both Colleen and Southwest founder, Herb Kelleher, believed in the importance of leaders being who they truly aspire to be as people. Southwest continues to be recognized as an example of outstanding customer-service culture, which combines crew-passenger activities and humor. Maybe you've flown SW and know that the flight attendants are friendly helpers, often with a "wacky" sense of fun! Advantages and Disadvantages of Teams: What to Consider? Benefits to the Organization Increased creativity and problem solving Higher quality decisions Improved processes Improved competitiveness Improved communications Reduced turnover Higher productivity Benefits to the Professional Worker Guardianship Status Learning Fellowship Power & Influence Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages: Have more information Stimulate creativity Improved learning Better decision making Disadvantages: Pressure to conform Dominate members Too much reliance Diverse Teams: Advantages & Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages Increased creativity Lack of cohesion More & better ideas Less groupthink Forces enhanced concentration Mistrust Ideas Stereotyping Perspectives Lower interpersonal relationships Can lead to: Better problem definition More alternatives Better solutions & decisions Teams can become: More effective More productive Miscommunication Slower speech Translation Less accuracy Stress Tension Fatigue Teams can become: Less efficient Less effective Less productive Summary: Team work and diversity/multi-culturalism factors within teams are accepted conditions for today's managers. To manage well, you must understand how to develop teams and build cohesion, which respects and utilizes multicultures. Those efforts will require ongoing learning. Team Leadership Questions to Ponder: Under what conditions are teams the solution to strategic problems? What skills does a team need to have? What resources does a leader need to have available. Module 6 - Motivation and Diversity What's the benefit of studying this topic? The desire to motivate is a popular leadership concept. This module helps you in paying careful attention to appropriate use of motivation ideas as workforce diversity expands. Module 6 Motivation to Match Diversity of People: A Leadership Factor Introduction: In the United States, 2012, there were 39 million Seniors, people born 1945 or earlier 78 million Baby Boomers, born 1946-1964 58 million Generation X, born 1965-1979 82 million Millennials, born 1980-2000 26 million Generation Green, born 2001- present (Conference Board) What might drive, interest, or motivate these population groups differently? Ideas about retirement, health care, entertainment, or useful technology? As a manager, what might you observe to work more successfully with people who represent Boomers? Generation X? Millennials? And, what might be important to remember about "Generation Green"? Not only does diversity of age factor into motivation, but there's much more to consider when exploring country cultures and what motivates different societies around the globe. At-a-glance definitions: Motivation: A range of aspects and factors which inspire people to give their best in completing work. Since the 1940s, researchers, managers, and consultants have studied and written about motivation. As ideas evolved, study findings distinguished between what a manager could offer to aid performance motivation and what aspects were intrinsic to each person completing his or her work. The intrinsic distinction suggests boundaries for applying the influence of leadership. It also points to the role for self-determination among people. Because individuality and collectivity are also important characteristics of cultures, use of motivational ideas needs to be re-thought. Path-Goal Theory: An approach to leadership in which leaders bring increased attention to what motivates direct reports and peers when working on projects. To lead successfully, a manager takes on the responsibility of monitoring the situation with additional thought. The leader also is attentive to the interests or motivations of others in reaching performance outcomes. Content Theory: The theory that motivation of an individual begins with that individual's needs. (Maslow, Herzberg, McClelland, et al.) Process Theory (Reinforcement Theory): An approach to motivation that holds that motivation of an individual can be addressed through their behavior. Motivation is a rational process and can be reinforced positively (reward) or negatively (consequences). Supported by Skinner, et al. Expectancy Theory: The perceived probability that a certain effort or performance will result in the achievement of a particular goal (Victor Vroom). Paying Attention to Motivation Means Understanding Its Dynamics as Culturally Bound: Nancy Adler (2008) helps you see how motivation as must be culturally bound when leading. She points out that the more popular theories taught in management courses were developed by Americans who were experienced in and observant of US work cultures. But these familiar motivation ideas are not consistently applicable to other cultures. More specifically, popular motivation approaches emphasize individuality, rational thought processes and achievement goals. Many cultures stress being collaborative and cooperative. These differences set up the need for you to think more about what role motivation should have in a diverse work group. Likely Differences for Use of Popular, US-Centric Motivation Theories: Motivational Theory Use in US-based Work Culture to Explain Worker Performance Maslow's Hierarchy of Less attention to avoiding uncertainty can Needs support workers to strive for self-actualization and efficacy. Less attention to society and the collective; supports workers in being more competitive as an aspect of actualization. McClelland's Achievement values can be greater when Achievement, Power, culture combines emphasis on producing and Affiliation Model (competing) and weak uncertainty avoidance. Use in Other Country Cultures More attention to avoiding uncertainty and risk can drive workers towards greater interest in job security, employment arrangements, and benefit assurances. More value for collective aspects of society focuses workers to consider group or social needs and emphasize less attention to individual economic goals. Some languages have little/no description or meaning for the term "Achievement". Higher interest in avoiding uncertainty along with values for quality of life (low MAS, using Hofstede's research). These values can be seen a lower achievement drive. Herzberg's TwoUsed to assist with HR policies to build Successful US-based HR practices Factor (Extrinsic and performance using a focus on individualism and emphasizing performance do not easily Intrinsic Motivators) productivity/performance (competitive/MAStransfer to other societies due to variation of related values). culture. Expectancy Theories Used to be strategic, incorporating aspects of More collective-oriented societies make self-efficacy to plan individual career path commitments to work/business through relationships with managers, peers, and others (Adler, 2008) Attention to culture and motivation helps you think that a manager should anticipate use of different expectations, driven by different culturally relevant values. Often the values found within country-geographic region add distinctive qualities to innovation and enhance performance. Here are some examples of how culture influences work-related motivations and activities. English-speaking countries may value individual achievement and express a lower on the desire for security. French-speaking countries, although similar to the English-speaking countries in achieving and performing, often place a greater importance to security (and policies, rules and regulations to protect jobs). Northern European/Scandinavia along with the Netherlands are societies with a history of less interest in "getting ahead" and work recognition goals; their people may focus concern for others and less for the organizational purpose (it is more important to hold a work-family life balance, with extended family leave practices as needed). Latin American and Southern European countries have found individual achievement somewhat less important and express higher awareness of the family, village or community. Southern Europeans placed the highest emphasis on job security, while both groups of countries have emphasized fringe benefits as appropriate for companies to maintain. Germany has ranked high on security and fringe benefits, but among the highest on "getting ahead" which has distinguished its societal values. Japan, although low on advancement, also has ranked second highest on the challenge (similar to the USA) and lowest on autonomy (unlike US-centric work expectations) with a strong emphasis on good working conditions and a friendly working environment (similar to some European cultures/societies). Path-Goal Leadership Theory Deserves Your Attention for Efforts Linked to Motivation Your reading about path-goal theory is especially important. Ch 7 (Northouse) describes Path-Goal, as complex-it allows for a rich web of ideas to be used by you in managing. You are asked to pay attention to the situation and apply the leader approach/style that is a fit to your personality. You are also asked to give specific attention to subordinate needs in order to reach work objectives. That attention is what has been identified as motivational activity. Effective use of a range of cultural values requires observation, informal data gathering, and relationships, very similar to what Path-Goal suggests. The Path-Goal approach may be especially useful to your management in gathering enough information to observe and bring forward important cultural values. Remember, these values are likely to be embedded, assumed, and it will take effort on your part to discuss them respectfully. Because Path-Goal emphasizes the relationship and information about the characteristics of the subordinates, the model gives you options for discovery. For example, you may find expectations for detailed planning (or not), a range of ideas about the pace for reaching decisions and the time required, or particular values for direction and meeting formality. Research Trends: Dominant trends in recent studies indicate a deep interest in performance and leadership to achieve results. More than 400 studies were reported 2005-12. Overall, the results suggest the need for sustained interaction. To gain better performance, leaders must increase attention to direct reports, often through more participation and close observation of worker engagement. While current motivational theories are not a perfect match with cross-cultural approaches, recent studies point to opportunities. As research shifted to performance, related studies discuss the impact of a multinational company culture and practical requirements of workers dispersed in multiple locations across varying time zones. One motivation topic is the exploration of inspiration dynamics. Determining what shapes inspiration allows behavior experts to go beyond procedures and familiar motivational theory. 2005-12 more than 76 studies reported on inspiration as a leadership factor. A finding is inspirational leading occurs when the manager stresses relationship with direct reports. While not explicitly linked to cultural values for cooperation, better use of inspiration suggests more awareness of group and participative planning decisions, which are culturally-associated values found in many regions of the world (Business Source Complete Data Base, 2012). Basic Motivation Model Refer to the figure below: Basic Motivation Model. There are two theories regarding what motivates people: Content Theory and Process Theory (Stotz and Bolger, nd). Both are based on the assumption that motivation is not something you \"do\" to a person. Content Theory (the left side of the figure) holds that motivation begins with a person's Needs, and is based on the research of Abraham Maslow, Frederick Herzberg, David C. McClelland and others. According to these theorists, Needs generate Tension which leads to Wants, Behavior, Action, and Feedback. Managers motivate employees by providing means or methods (Path-Goal Leadership? Servant Leadership?) for them to satisfy their needs Process Theories (the right side of the figure) \"provide a description and analysis of how behavior is energized, directed, sustained and stopped. Four process theories are predominant: Reinforcement, expectancy, equity, and goal setting. Managers can motivate employees by reinforcing (rewarding) positive behavior, and discouraging (ignore, punish, consequences) negative behavior. The \"guru\" of this discipline is B. F. Skinner (Beyond Freedom and Dignity, 1971) Basic Motivation Model Needs Tension Content Theory Motivation starts with needs Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Herzberg's 2-Factor Theory McClelland's Theory of Needs Wants Behavior Action Feedback Process Theory People are motivated by consequences (reward or punishment) B.F. Skinner Motivated behavior is learned Positive Reinforcement Consequences Ignoring Punishment Content Theory Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs was addressed in Module 2. The theory states that individuals have needs which can be grouped into a hierarchy of five categories. The most basic is physiological, followed by safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Herzberg named the two factors of his 2-Factor Theory \"Hygiene Factors\" and \"Maintenance Factors.\" Hygiene factors are things which can \"cause dissatisfaction, but don't cause satisfaction.\" To illustrate: close your eyes and think of the color of the floor or the color of the walls. You probably never noticed. The color didn't \"cause satisfaction.\" But if you walked in a classroom that was painted Pepto Bismol pink ---- well? Maintenance factors are those things that can \"generate satisfaction\" --- income, recognition, opportunity for advancement, etc. McClelland's notable work is based on his research into why some civilizations have prospered throughout history (Greeks, Romans, Aztecs, and Mayans) and others have not. He proposed that individuals have combinations of three needs: the Need for Affiliation (Naff), the Need for Power (Npwr), and the Need for Achievement (Nach). McClelland proposed that the major characteristic of the population for those civilizations that prospered was that the majority exhibited a high need for achievement. Process Theory As noted above, the major theorist here is the psychologist Burrhus Frederic. Skinner (commonly known as B. F.). A 2002 survey listed him as the most influential psychologist of the 20 th century. \"Skinner emphasized observable behavior in the study of humanshence the term 'behaviorism.' . . . Stated briefly, Skinner believes . . . that behavior that is followed by reinforcement (positive or negative) has an increased probability of reoccurrence. Behavior followed by extinction or punishment has a decreased probability of re-occurrence\" (Learning Theory Fundamentals). Week 5 Reading List Team Diversity http://sk.sagepub.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/reference/organization/n523.xml Multicultural Work Groups and Teams http://sk.sagepub.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/reference/businesstoday/n670.xml Effective Teamwork http://sk.sagepub.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/reference/sportsmagementmarketing/n228.xml Week 6 Reading List Motivation http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE %7CCX1552100221&v=2.1&u=umd_umuc&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=dd688235d15db69c334c 81db9011a174 Individual Differences: Values and Personality https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_organizational-behavior-v1.1/s07-03-individual-differencesvalues-.html